Planning for Sustainable Cities in Africa: Experiences, Challenges and Prospects of Monitoring Geospatial Indicators

Abstract

The African continent is receiving unprecedented pressure from population growth, urbanisation, decreased agricultural productivity and changing climate. However, the continent lacks technological advancement. Therefore, there is a need to apply global data and open geospatial tools for analysis to prevent, stop and comprehend the trend and effects of land degradation, food insecurity and the unsustainability of cities. The study takes three representative indicators (climate risk, land degradation and land consumption) from FAO’s four strategic better’s to demonstrate the feasibility and applicability of global datasets to support decision makers. Three representative cities in Africa are selected for the study—Houet, Burkina Faso (West Africa); Kisumu, Kenya (East Africa); and Analamanga, Madagascar (South East Africa). The study found that eight Fokontany of the Analamanga region were at high risk from climate change; at the ward level, a maximum of 54.2% of the total degraded land area in Kisumu; and maximum land-consumption rate of 1.5 was found in Houet at the department level. The results of this study can be a basis for policymakers in planning an inclusive climate-adaptation measure and sustainable land-use frameworks and policies.

Keywords

• geospatial
• sustainability of cities
• land cover
• global tools
• open data
• land degradation